Dormont Library offers educational Muslim programming

Last month’s guest speaker for Dormont Library’s Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys program, Imam Atef Mahgoub from the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh, spoke to the audience about the five tenants of Islam and how they relate to life.

Throughout the spring, summer and fall, Dormont Public Library is presenting a series of programs as part of the nationwide Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys program – more than 840 libraries nationwide are participating in the program. Bridging Cultures explores the people, places, history, faith and cultures of Muslims in the United States and around the world.

AT 7 p.m. April 29, the theme is cultural coffee night, which will include a discussion open to the public featuring cultural stories by members of the local Muslim community. The goal of the program is to better provide an idea of what it means to be a Muslim in America, the role of woman in Islam, and the Islamic culture worldwide. It also aims to counter misconceptions of Islam held by individuals in the United States.

The next program takes place at 7 p.m. May 29, and is an Islamic book group. Attendees will discuss “The House of Wisdom: How Arabic Science Saved Ancient Knowledge and Gave Us the Renaissance” by Jim Al-Khalili. Guest speaker Dr. Khlood Salman, associate professor of Nursing at Duquesne University, will moderate the discussion and answer questions.

Registration for the programs is required. For more information, call 412-531-8754. A list of suggested reading for the programs is available online at www.dormontlibrary.org.